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South Africa’s Dewald Brevis scored a match-winning hundred against Uganda, while Afghanistan bowled PNG out for just 65

Sreshth Shah19-Jan-2022England became the first team to confirm their spot in the quarter-finals of the main competition after their batters, led by captain Tom Prest, flexed their muscle to post an imposing 320 against Canada. That set up a comprehensive 106-win.Prest then took three wickets with his right-arm offbreaks while Joshua Boyden, the left-arm seamer, picked up a four-wicket haul for the second game in a row.Prest made 93 in 93 balls, an innings packed with innovative shots like the paddle and sweeps off seam bowlers. He crunched ten fours and looked all set for a century but was stopped by Canada legspinner Kairav Sharma, who got him lbw in the 37th over.His 90-run second-wicket stand with George Thomas (52) set the base for a strong finish from England’s middle and lower order. William Luxton hit two fours and two sixes to make a 32-ball 41, George Bell hit 57 in only 35 balls, and No. 8 James Sales crunched 23 off 18 deliveries.Canada’s bowling was decent in spells but missed the bite to cause any trouble, allowing England’s batters to pick their spots. Sharma’s legspin was the only standout, his wrong’un dismissing Thomas and his flipper removing Prest as he finished with 3 for 51. England scored exactly 100 runs in the last 10 overs to finish with 320 for 9.The chase began with a rain delay that was short enough to ensure no overs were lost. Boyden, who took 4 for 16 against Bangladesh, used his swing-bowling skills to pick off Canada opener Siddh Lad in his opening spell. Anoop Chima (38) and Yasir Mahmood (25) then built a careful but solid partnership of 60 for the second wicket before Mahmood top-edged a sweep off a tossed-up Prest delivery.Left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell then got among the wickets, getting Chima and Sharma lbw with balls that went with the arm. Prest trapped Arjuna Sukhu lbw too, to leave Canada reeling at 109 for 6 in the 32nd over.Like in England’s first game, offspinner Fateh Singh controlled the middle overs with his tidy bowling but had no wicket to show for it. This time, he conceded just 12 in his seven overs.Canada’s seventh-wicket stand proved difficult to break, as Ethan Gibson and Gurnek Johal Singh counterattacked, adding 74 in 11.4 overs to take Canada past 180. They negated England’s three-pronged spin combination, but had no answer when Boyden returned with his left-arm seam and dismissed both with pinpoint yorkers. In between, he sent back Sheel Patel with a sharp caught-and-bowled.Prest capped off a brilliant day by returning to the attack and getting last man Harjap Saini out stumped to finish with figures of 3 for 38.Dewald Brevis drives through the off side•ICC via Getty Images

The versatile Dewald Brevis scored a century to set up a 121-run win over Uganda in South Africa’s Group B match in Port-of-Spain.Brevis followed up his 65 against India last week with a 110-ball 104 to lift South Africa to 231 for 9, after which their bowlers shared the spoils to bowl Uganda out for 110. Brevis struck 11 fours and one six. He found support only from captain George Van Heerden (36) in a 74-run third-wicket stand, and wicketkeeper Kaden Solomons (27), with the rest of the batters failing to make significant contributions. Juma Miyaji and Uganda captain Pascal Murungi took three wickets each to restrict South Africa to below 250.However, the target of 232 was too much for Uganda. Fast bowler Aphiwe Mnyanda removed both openers, left-arm spinner Liam Alder removed Uganda’s top-scorer Isaac Ategeka (29), and Brevis picked up two lower-order wickets. Four other South Africa bowlers shared a wicket each to finish the rout by the 34th over. Uganda could have finished with a sub-100 score if it wasn’t for the 27 extras conceded by South Africa.Afghanistan bowled out PNG for 65•ICC via Getty Images

Afghanistan began their U-19 World Cup campaign with a comprehensive win over Papua New Guinea, their spinners leading the way to bowl Papua New Guinea out for only 65 after being dismissed for 200 themselves.Afghanistan recovered from 40 for 3 on the back of a 105-run fourth-wicket stand between the captain Suliman Safi, who struck nine fours in his 62, and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai who made 45. That lifted them to 145 for 4, but Afghanistan only managed to add 55 for the loss of their last six wickets. Katenalaki Singi took 4 for 18 in only five overs for PNG.However, figures of 3 for 14 from legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed and 2 for 18 from left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad wrecked PNG in their chase of 201. Seamer Naveed Zadran picked up 2 for 9, Nangyalai Khan took 2 for 5 and Bilal Sami took one wicket to ensure PNG’s innings lasted only 20.5 overs.PNG had ten single-digit scores with No. 8 Aue Oru being the highest contributor with 13.

An emergency meeting of the ICC Board will be convened to discuss this matter, with fewer than 100 days left to the expected start of the tournament

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Nov-2024The ICC Board will convene next week for an emergency meeting to discuss the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the single-point agenda for the meeting, which is likely to be held on November 26, is to reach a consensus on whether a hybrid model should be adopted for the tournament with matches being spread between Pakistan, the host country, and a second overseas venue, which is yet to be confirmed.While several people privy to discussions confirmed the development to ESPNcricinfo, an ICC spokesperson said there had been no official communication confirming the meeting next week. It is not clear how many boards have been informed of the meeting at this point. A PCB official also said they had received no such information at the moment.The ICC Board comprises representatives from the 12 Full Member countries, three representatives from Associates, an independent director along with the ICC chairman and CEO.The meeting has been called for after the BCCI told the ICC that the Indian government has denied Rohit Sharma’s team permission to travel to Pakistan. That decision only came a fortnight ago; the PCB was awarded hosting rights for the eight-team ODI tournament three years ago, in November 2021, and has been steadfast about conducting the entire event in Pakistan, at three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.Related

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The impasse has meant that with under 100 days to the expected start of the tournament – as hosts, the PCB have penciled it in to run from February 19 to March 9 – there is still no official schedule from the ICC for the event.Speaking to media in Pakistan this week, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said he retained “positive expectations” about the Champions Trophy taking place in the country. Naqvi, who is also the head of the Interior Ministry of the Pakistan government, said he was willing to have a dialogue with the BCCI to break the deadlock, even while the PCB awaits a response from the ICC to a set of questions about why India cannot travel to Pakistan for the tournament.This is the second time in successive years the PCB has been confronted with the hybrid model to host a multi-national tournament to accommodate India. The 2023 Asia Cup was played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka after the Indian team was refused permission to travel to Pakistan. It was Pakistan that travelled between their country and Sri Lanka where the tournament final was played. Pakistan travelled to India for the ODI World Cup soon after that tournament, a decision the PCB has said it expected to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.Earlier this week the India team was also forced to withdraw from the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after failing to secure the Indian government’s clearance for the squad to travel to Pakistan.

Brisbane Heat put up a brave chase and needed 10 from two balls but Marizanne Kapp closed out the game

AAP06-Nov-2023Sydney Thunder made a statement in the WBBL, hitting the club’s highest ever total before holding on for an eight-run win in the top-of-the-table clash against Brisbane Heat.Led by hard-hitting openers Tahlia Wilson and Chamari Athapaththu, Thunder smashed 204 for 4 at North Sydney Oval.Heat were gallant in reply to get the equation down to 24 off the final over, before Jess Jonassen whacked two sixes of Marizanne Kapp to make it 10 needed off two balls. But the South African bowler held her nerve.Related

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Wooden-spooners last year with only one win, Thunder now lead the WBBL with a 5-1 record and a game in hand over the rest of the top four.Athapaththu has been a star, but equally impressive is the form of the Thunder’s entire top order. Wilson hit 83 from 54 balls in the best night of her WBBL career, setting the tone early with a 102-run opening stand with Athapaththu from 63 balls.The 24-year-old has made an art of piercing the leg-side field in this tournament, and seven of her 11 fours – as well as a six off Courtney Sippel – came in that fashion on Monday.Heat only had themselves to blame, dropping Wilson three times in her fiery innings.Athapaththu continues to be destructive, hitting 58 off 31 deliveries. She flayed the ball at will through the offside when offered width, and helped take 15 off Amelia Kerr’s first over when she hit the spinner back over her head for six.The Sri Lankan brought up her 50 off 25 balls, doing so in style by slow-sweeping Jonassen for two sixes in one over. The runs took Athapaththu to the top of the scoring charts for the tournament, with 304 at an average of 50.66 and a strike-rate of 143.39.More remarkably, the she was overlooked by everyone in the overseas player draft, before later being scooped up by Thunder.Heather Knight banged out 38 off 19 balls, as Thunder took 69 from the final five overs. Jonassen copped the most treatment, going for 0 for 48 from three overs, while Kerr was 0 for 43 from her three.Sippel had more success, removing Athapaththu and Phoebe Litchfield to finish with 2 for 31, while Nicola Hancock’s 2 for 32 included the wickets of Knight, and Kapp for a golden duck.Mignon du Preez gave Heat some hope in the chase with 61 from 37, but she was caught trying to take on Hannah Darlington in the penultimate over.Jonassen handed the hosts a late scare, but it wasn’t enough to pull off what would have been the competition’s highest-ever chase.

Worcestershire recover from 68 for 5 through middle-order partnership

Paul Edwards22-Jul-2019
Every moment one spends at Cheltenham is precious but no festival in recent years has been as rich in promise as that which currently garlands the College Ground. The six struck over point by Gareth Roderick to secure last week’s victory over Leicestershire already has legendary status in Charlton Kings and by mid-afternoon on this second day the prospect of a second, rather more comfortable win for Gloucestershire beguiled both the serious drinkers in the Old Patesians marquee and the county chief executives enjoying their reunion at the College Lawn End.Replying to the home side’s 354, Worcestershire were 68 for 5 when Brett D’Oliveira joined Ross Whiteley. Most people agreed Chris Dent would enforce the follow-on; few considered the possibility he might not have the chance to do so. Yet Whiteley had already begun to bat against most of the memories his muscles and temperament had acquired over seasons of short-form cricket. He waited until his 43rd ball before hitting his first four and his six over midwicket off Ethan Bamber seemed an eccentric highlight from a different match.D’Oliveira, dropped by Miles Hammond at second slip off Ryan Higgins when only 3, joined him in a sixth-wicket partnership of 146 characterised by rigorous self-discipline. Whiteley hit three sixes but had earned the right to do so rather than brusquely asserting it in a manner likely to get him into trouble. Four years to the day since he made his last century, against Yorkshire at Scarborough, he was only 12 runs short of three figures when Matt Taylor got a ball that was 75 overs old to fly from just short of a length, take the edge of the bat and fly via James Bracey’s gloves to Benny Howell at slip.But our day ended with D’Oliveira unbeaten on 66 albeit Gloucestershire’s bowlers will be encouraged by the prospect of using a nearly new ball in the morning. A game which both sides need to win is far better balanced than appeared likely in mid-afternoon and we have two fine days ahead of us. “There are great spiritual advantages to be had in that town,” Nicholas Bulstrode informs his wife when describing Cheltenham in .Yet advantages of any sort were the home side’s monopoly earlier in a day when Worcestershire’s top-order batsmen seemed as ripe for the picking as pears in late September. When their first dig dwindled from 24 without loss to 68 for 5 the statisticians pointed out it was the fifth successive innings in which they had lost those wickets for less than 85 runs and the sixth time in seven matches when Worcestershire’s top five first-innings wickets had fallen for less than a hundred.Gloucestershire’s bowlers fed on such insecurity and their own Puritan disciplines offered Joe Leach’s batsmen no repose. A hesitant Riki Wessels edged Bamber to Benny Howell in his side’s sixth over; Callum Ferguson was pinioned in his crease by David Payne and nicked a catch to Hammond. After lunch Gloucestershire’s can-do approach was epitomised by Bracey who took an outstanding leg-side catch off Ryan Higgins to remove Ed Barnard and then took an even better one standing up to dismiss Daryl Mitchell off the same bowler.For all that he is having a poor season Mitchell remains the batsman Worcestershire’s opponents would most like to remove but Bracey’s positioning was a shrewd attempt to counteract his tendency to come down the wicket. That, though, was almost the end of Gloucestershire’s absolute dominance. The rest of the day saw Whiteley and D’Oliveira give their team some hope they might yet achieve a victory they sorely need. And their resistance recalled a first session in which one of Worcestershire’s most loyal servants had achieved a fine career landmark.Indeed the morning has begun in an atmosphere of multi-faceted incipience and general enticement. Cleeve Hill was dark green beneath benevolent cloud and the old paths towards Winchcombe were beguiling in the gentlest haze. Tom Smith was on 79, five runs short of his career-best score, Gloucestershire were 11 runs shy of a fourth batting bonus point and Leach needed two wickets to reach 300 in first-class cricket for Worcestershire. The third of these landmarks was the first to be reached when Leach, bowling as tightly as ever, knocked back Payne’s off stump in the sixth over of the day and had Bamber caught by a diving Ben Cox in the tenth. The bowler greeted this wicket with a guttural roar of triumph. Smith was last man out on 83 but he will not give a monkey’s if his side have 23 points in the bag on Wednesday evening.Neither will any other home supporters. There must, one imagines, be better things in life than watching cricket at Cheltenham. Yet on a warm, dream-laden evening at the College Ground, with the Glorious Glosters slightly in the ascendant, and the air scented with possibility it was awfully difficult to think what those things might be. So we ate oranges on the pavilion balcony and watched the evening light on distant, tree-ringed fields.

Bowler glad to have repaid Warwickshire’s faith after injury-wrecked season

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Sep-2022It says a lot about Liam Norwell’s drive that he hopes his 9 for 62, which dragged Warwickshire to safety with a five-run victory over Hampshire, will allow his team-mates and fans to forgive him for his absences this season.Norwell’s figures – the 12th best in first-class cricket for Warwickshire – saw a fourth-innings target of 133 defended on a remarkable final day of the 2022 County Championship season. It brought just a second win of the season for Warwickshire but one that lifted them above Yorkshire, who will play Division Two cricket next season after defeat to Gloucestershire on Wednesday opened the door for their relegation rivals.Warwickshire were spared the ignominy of going down as defending champions, a success Norwell was very much a part of, with 49 dismissals at an average of 18.26 in 2021. This season, however, back issues, a concussion sustained in the second match of the season against Essex and a right elbow injury restricted him to three Championships appearances coming into this last round. Such ailments are an occupational hazard for bowlers but Norwell seems to have taken them to heart.Related

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That he was even available to play here was a surprise to many. Following consultation with doctors, his prospects of playing again this summer were rated at “10%”. After getting through all eight games in the Royal London Cup, the club felt the best course of action was to sit out the remainder of the season to avoid pushing it too far.However, with the bowling stocks low, especially after Jayant Yadav and Mohammed Siraj returned to India, Norwell put himself forward to head coach Mark Robinson as a possible solution. And how. Even with little preparation and lacking full match fitness, he dug deep to bowl all but three of the 23.5 overs sent down from Edgbaston’s Pavilion End, and was relentless throughout.”I feel like I’ve let the lads and the management down quite a bit this year,” an exhausted Norwell said afterwards.”Personally, I’m as frustrated as anyone about how the season has gone. Back issues, concussion, tearing my elbow – I’m as frustrated as anyone. I believe, without trying to sound arrogant, if I played more this season, we wouldn’t be in this position… I just have that confidence in myself. And I hope I proved that today.”Of that, there can be no question. His performance, which began with 4 for 36 in the first innings, will go down as one of the most remarkable in the club’s history. Indeed England have closely monitored Norwell, as someone with both the frame and skills to challenge batters of the highest quality. This display simply confirmed what they saw in the former Gloucestershire man.Back in March, he was the first bowling reserve for the tour of West Indies, and was close to a full call-up as Mark Wood struggled with an elbow injury of his own in the first of the three Tests. Norwell, however, revealed he would not have taken the call, let alone the opportunity. A couple of weeks after he was told to wait on standby, his newborn contracted meningitis and nearly lost his life.Thankfully, his son – their second child – is healthy now. And after such a finish, the attention of selectors will be piqued once more. Test captain Ben Stokes was clearly impressed, championing the spell on social media. Norwell, however, feels his time has passed.”I’ll be honest, now I’m 30 and there are younger lads come in like [Matthew] Potts, I don’t think I have got a chance. But I will keep putting in performances and you never know.”After not wishing to be arrogant by rightly claiming greater availability would have prevented Warwickshire being involved in a dog fight at the end, dismissing his own England prospects is perhaps a dip too far into modesty. Understandably, his focus is on resting up, getting fitter over the winter and playing all of next season. But the skills on show, whether unerring accuracy or clever use of the knuckleball, were sure signs of a bowler with a strong command of his craft.The mindset, evidently, is already there. Not just coming back from injuries, or the character showcased in the two match-deciding spells but even at the tea break when he took himself to one side to maintain his focus. “I sat by myself, to be honest with you,” he said.”I felt quite emotional at tea and I wanted to make sure I was the man to drive us over the line. I got our physio to get me some food and I just sat in the table in front of the viewing area and just looked out onto the pitch. It’s what I did last year when we won the Championship, just to try and keep myself focused. I thought if it worked last year it might work this year. Luckily it did.”He did admit to one moment of weakness. Upon taking the wicket of Keith Barker, bowling the left-hander to make it 91 for 7, his left hamstring began cramping, causing more discomfort than the right elbow which was sore but manageable. At the end of the over – Norwell’s 14th – he asked his captain Will Rhodes if he could come off. The reply could not be misinterpreted.”I have to give Will credit. I tried to take myself off after the Keith Barker wicket. I was cramping. I won’t use the language he used but he basically said ‘you’re bowling until the end of the game’. Him and Dom Sibley just kept getting around me and they kept pumping me up and getting me going.”Along with encouragement from his team-mates, he had Warwickshire’s physio for company down at fine leg. At the start of his last over, defending just five, he produced a beauty to uproot James Fuller’s middle stump when the bowling allrounder looked set to win Hampshire the game. Four balls on, a full, inswinging delivery wrapped Mohammad Abbas on the pads to confirm the win and survival.”I just went a bit mad,” Norwell said of the final celebration. “All the emotions came out, I was nearly in tears. It means a lot to me – I feel like I’ve let everyone down this year by not playing.”Helping us stay up and put in that performance I hope is repaid the lads and supporters for not playing.” It is safe to say it has.

Batsman warns same tactics used against South Africa may not work against Kiwi swing and pace

Mohammad Isam at The Oval04-Jun-2019How Bangladesh began their World Cup opener against South Africa had a lot to do with the result. Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal put together 60 runs for the opening stand and although both fell within 11.4 overs, they had done more than enough to alleviate any nerves in the dressing room about the first match of a major tournament, in front of a big crowd, in foreign conditions and against a strong bowling attack.Soumya’s 30-ball 42 put the pacey South African attack on the back foot and they couldn’t recover. However, he believes the same method against a different bowling attack may not work all the time. Particularly against New Zealand, Soumya believes that they would have to keep swing and pace in mind.In the ODI series in February, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the first ten overs twice in three games. They lost the series 3-0. In the ten matches since 2015, Bangladesh have only gone through two wicketless first Powerplays against New Zealand, winning one of those games. At the Champions Trophy in Cardiff two years ago, Bangladesh lost three early wickets, after which Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah struck centuries in an incredible fourth-wicket partnership.

Bangladesh in first Powerplay since 2015 World Cup

• Lost two or more wickets in first Powerplay v New Zealand in four out of nine ODIs

• Averaged 48 runs in the first Powerplay

• Lost two or more wickets in first Powerplay in 23 out of 62 ODIs

• Averaged 40 runs in first Powerplay

Soumya said that going wicketless in the first ten overs, a factor that has helped them in their last four consecutive wins, would take them a long way in gaining confidence against New Zealand. He also said The Oval pitch would be a new one for this game, unlike the South Africa game which was played on a used pitch.”It will certainly have a big impact,” Soumya said. “If we do not lose a wicket in the first ten overs, it will really help us. Their strength is to swing the ball in the first ten overs. They take early wickets. If the wicket assists the batsmen, it will create pressure on them. We may not bat the same way as we did against South Africa. I think the simple fact is the type of wicket would be different.”We played on a used wicket against them, while we will play on a new wicket against New Zealand. Their bowlers have swing with pace, which we have to tackle together. We have to play according to the merit of the ball. If there’s swing, we have to play out the first few overs.”Soumya vowed to try and keep his form intact, having scored three fifties in his last four innings, including his match-winning effort in the tri-series final against New Zealand couple of weeks ago.”I will try to play my way,” he said. “Sometimes it is a quickfire knock, while at other times it may be a long innings. I try to give the team a good platform, whether I am scoring twenties or thirties, or a hundred. I want it to be helpful for the team. It is my personal plan. If my way of batting puts the opposition under pressure, it helps my team. I try to stick to my plan.”One of the major features – and also a change – in his approach has been the choice of shots that Soumya has made. He hardly goes for wild swings or slogs after he has hit a few boundaries, a problem he had between 2016 and 2018. The discipline has so far given him runs, although a more focused approach is required for a better conversion rate.He has scored two ODI hundreds among his twelve 50-plus scores, but a bigger concern is the 16 innings in which he got out between the scores of 20 and 45.But if Soumya, Tamim and the rest of the Bangladesh batsmen can temper their freewheeling strokeplay against New Zealand on Wednesday, even if it is for at least the first ten to twelve overs, Bangladesh may be able to control more of the match.

The Royal Challengers captain asked each of his team-mates for self-introspection

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2019For the sixth time in a row, Virat Kohli was asked to explain the freefall his team Royal Challenges Bangalore are experiencing this IPL. The defeat against Delhi Capitals on Sunday meant Royal Challengers have started the season with six successive defeats, equaling the record for the joint-worst start previously held by Delhi Daredevils in 2013.Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their sixth straight match this season•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As pointed out here, Royal Challengers were embarrassing for the second successive game in the field, allowing the opponent to capitalise on the let-offs. Still recovering from the knockout punch to their gut from Andre Russell in the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders two evenings ago, they once again dropped chances, failed to convert run-out chances, misfielded and bowled no balls.Instead of being harsh at the post-match presentation, Kohli just asked each of his team-mates for introspection. “When the mind is cluttered you wouldn’t be able to focus on the chances that come your way, so clarity of mind is very important in the game especially if you want to convert the half chances and pull the game back,” Kohli told the host broadcaster .Shreyas Iyer was dropped by Parthiv Patel on 4 on the last ball of the first over of the innings in which Tim Southee had already dismissed Shikhar Dhawan. Iyer proceeded to finish with a 50-ball 67.”Look, in T20 cricket no one is going to keep giving you chances. We got two there – Shreyas got 65 (67). He was on 8 (4) when he was dropped first and then on 20-odd again. Look that takes the game to a different dimension altogether. Like at the end they panicked a little bit.”Kohli admitted his team was once again not “good enough” when it mattered. He thought the under-par total of 149 was actually competitive only because the pitch was “dry underneath” and was hence behaving slow. “We thought 160-165 would be a very competitive total. Even 150, had we held on to our chances, would’ve been very difficult for them. Look, we need to grab our chances when they come our way. We can’t give excuses every day saying something or the other. We weren’t good enough on the day again, and that’s the whole story of RCB so far.”Although he was the top-scorer for Royal Challengers with 41, it was an unusual innings from Kohli who didn’t get much strike for the 17 overs he batted, facing only 33 balls, and when he did, his punch lacked any impact. Kohli explained that he decided to drop anchor once AB de Villiers fell in the sixth over.”When two senior batters are there in the team and one gets out, the other one has to take it deep. So that was the whole idea of that (my) innings. The pitch also didn’t allow us to play our shots that much in the first innings. I wasn’t too happy getting out to a ball like that. I thought if I had stayed [we] could have added maybe 25-30 more to the total. In hindsight you can look at all the things possible, but even with the total in hand, we thought 160 (150) would have been very competitive.”So what should Royal Challengers do to avoid further embarrassment? Kohli did not have much energy or words.”There’s nothing more you can say to the team,” he said. “We have asked the guys to take responsibility, come out here and perform to the best of their abilities. It hasn’t happened so far. That’s the reality of the situation. We do accept it. The more we get frustrated, the more it is going to get tougher and tougher. So the key is to just enjoy ourselves as much as we can, play expressive cricket in the remaining games. Personally as well, not trying to control the situation too much. There is to a certain extent that you can control, which is your own personal skill and try to give your own effort as much as possible and we expect that out of the team, too. Yeah, the team should just take it easy, relax. Whatever it is in front of us, it is in front of us. We can’t really change the situation.”

For the third ODI, India have picked the same squad that will play at the World Cup, plus Ashwin and Washington

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-2023India have included both R Ashwin and Washington Sundar in their squad for the three-match ODIs series against Australia.With the World Cup looming and the team intent on testing more of their bench, regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav have been rested for the first two ODIs. In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul will lead the side.For the third ODI, the selectors have picked the same squad that they will play with at the World Cup, plus Ashwin and Washington.Ashwin last played an ODI more than 18 months ago, and his selection is a chance for the team management to have him ready, along with Washington, should they need to replace Axar Patel, who has a left quadriceps strain that ruled him out of the Asia Cup final.Ashwin has been training at the NCA over the past week along with spin consultant Sairaj Bahutule, apart from regular physical conditioning work, even as the national team was away in Sri Lanka.Related

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“We’re hoping Axar will be fit,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said. “Washy was already part of the squad for the final. Ashwin brings experience, so it gives us options in case there is a need at some stage for us to look at those guys.”Rohit elaborated on the Ashwin selection a bit more when asked if the offspinner’s lack of match-time in the format could be a possible hindrance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“With guys like Ashwin, game-time and time on the ground is not so much of a concern,” he said. “Which is why we thought if he is an option for us, we need to get him in. With the kind of experience he has, for guys like him, it’s all in the head more than the body. I thought getting him in could give is a chance to understand where he is at, how his body is and stuff like that.”It’s not like he has not been playing cricket for the last year or so. Yes, he hasn’t played in this [ODI] format, but he played Test cricket recently in the West Indies, and if I’m not wrong, in the TNPL as well. Of course, there’s no comparison but he has had some cricket there. The games against Australia will give us a chance to look at where he’s at.”Explaining the team management’s rationale behind naming two different squads for a short ODI series, Agarkar stressed the importance of giving the senior players a “mental break” given the short turnaround between their victorious Asia Cup campaign and the first ODI.”Luckily we got a fair amount of cricket at the Asia Cup,” Agarkar said. “If not, we would’ve looked at it some other way. More than physical, sometimes guys need a mental break, which isn’t a bad thing leading into a tournament like the World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“For the third game, everyone will be available. We will play our World Cup squad. This [squad for the first two ODIs] gives us a chance to give guys sitting outside a chance. It’s still a strong squad. Like I said, if we hadn’t got a lot of cricket at the Asia Cup, who knows, we may have thought differently.”With Rohit resting, India have the option of picking either Ishan Kishan or Ruturaj Gaikwad as an opener. Gaikwad has been training at the NCA along with the rest of India’s Asian Games contingent that will leave for China on September 27. Gaikwad, who is set to captain that team, will now link up with the rest of the touring group immediately after the second ODI in Indore on September 24.The Australia series, which begins on September 22, is India’s last ODI assignment before the World Cup and it presents a chance for highly-rated middle-order batter Tilak Varma to push his case at the highest level. He has been picked for the first two games.

India’s squad for Australia series

For first two ODIs: KL Rahul (capt), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washington SundarFor third ODI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), R Ashwin, Washington Sundar

India did not take part in 2010 and 2014, the two previous times cricket featured at the Games

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2023India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams are set to compete in the Asian Games for the first time, with the BCCI’s apex council approving their participation in the upcoming Games in Hangzhou in September-October. Cricket has featured twice in the Asian Games before – in 2010 and 2014 – but India didn’t take part either time.As in the 2010 and 2014 editions, T20 will be the format of the cricket event in Hangzhou.”We are going to participate in the Asian Games,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed on Friday. “The Apex Council has approved the participation of our men’s and women’s teams.”With the Men’s ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on October 5, two days before the end of the Asian Games cricket competition, the BCCI is expected to send a second-string men’s team to the Games, and a full-strength women’s team.Bangladesh (2010) and Sri Lanka (2014) won the men’s gold medals in the previous editions of the Games, while Pakistan won the women’s gold both times.Related

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BCCI mulls policy to prevent early retirements

Among the other matters discussed by the apex committee was the issue of players retiring from international and domestic cricket in order to participate in overseas leagues. The most recent case of this is Ambati Rayudu, who retired after the final of IPL 2023, following which he signed up with Texas Super Kings for the upcoming inaugural edition of Major League Cricket.As things stand, Indian cricketers can only feature in overseas leagues if they are no longer involved in international cricket or in BCCI-run tournaments including the IPL. While only a handful of Indian players have so far gone on to play in overseas leagues after their retirements, the mushrooming of leagues around the world has raised the concern that players could retire early to play in these new tournaments.”We’ll come out with a policy to prevent the trend of pre-determined retirement,” Shah said. “The office-bearers will make a policy and send it back for approval.”

Peter Siddle and James Pattinson shared five wickets as Queensland were bowled out for 183

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2019Victoria bowled themselves into a strong position on the opening day at the MCG by dismantling Queensland for 183.The wickets were shared around as Peter Siddle, still hoping to keep his name in the Test frame, and Jon Holland claimed three apiece while James Pattinson and debutant Will Sutherland claimed a brace each. Charlie Hemphrey’s half-century kept Queensland in the contest.It was Sutherland, with his third delivery on first-class debut, who made the opening incision in the 19th over, after sustained pressure from the Victoria quicks, when Bryce Street drove to point where fellow debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk took the catch – combined age for the wicket: 37.Sutherland’s second came when he found Matt Renshaw’s edge from around the wicket and Victoria’s morning became even better with the last ball of the session as Siddle had Marnus Labuschagne well caught at first slip for a 28-ball duck to leave Queensland 3 for 32 from 28 overs.Siddle struck again after the break when Nathan McSweeney was caught behind and the innings slipped to the depths of 7 for 99 as Pattinson and Holland claimed their first wickets.The ship was steadied somewhat by a 55-run stand between Hemphrey and Mark Steketee with Hemphrey compiling 64 from 130 deliveries before he was Pattinson’s second wicket.Holland wrapped up the innings as Steketee chopped on and Blake Edwards was caught at slip, but the final three wickets added 84 useful runs.On a day that was interrupted by showers, Victoria’s openers got through 6.4 overs before play was ended for the final time.